Hitchers Trial
by Oketsu
Summary: Aang is once again put to the test by someone from his past. The only problem is, it’s someone he wishes he and many others could forget. NEW CHAPTER!
1. Prologue

_**Author Notes**: Okay, this was one of my very first fanfictions ever. This is more or less based around the story of the show itself with more of a personal touch. I will not, I repeat, will not be doing any OC/Canon pairings in this so no worries, but then again I'm letting on what mains do get together -wink-. Rated for later chapters. Oh and forgive the seriousness of the Epilogue, I promise it's to like this through the entire story. Oh and I fixed the whole 'Prologue' thingie...it was late and I was tired...oopsie!_

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**Prologue: The princess of the storm**

_100 years ago_

The rush of the wind and the howling of it flowing through the trees of the forest was growing more and more eerie as the skies above began to darken. Thunder rolled above the clouds like a ferocious beast roaring out from the heavens. Snarling and spitting in disgust at the nation below and it's sinful ways and wishes.

For so long the minds of the fire tribe had been on war. The idea of one was of course the counsels idea but rumors that the king was beginning to cave to the pressure were spreading like wildfire. The whispers and the grumbles and grunts had been going on behind closed doors beyond the ears of the guard. It was true that the fire nation was one of the most fierce and formidable of all four nations, they had given birth to so many more benders then others that they were becoming nothing more then warriors. Like true warriors though, they had many ambitious and this included a global takeover.

There were many people who objected to such a thing because the class system would be torn apart at the seems through the entire world and benders would become the nobles while normal people would be left as petty servants. Since there were more benders than ordinary citizens though, they were easily overruled.

The winds began to shoot through the bones of those still running outside, coming in strong and sudden bursts. It was going to be one of the biggest storms ever. Beyond this reason though, many people poured in their homes from the fear of one man. The one known as the Steel Rod of the fire nation, the one who had been the first in many years to master the art of lightening manipulation. He was a very horrible man, or that's what was said. He was hated for his second name 'The Cleanser'. He was one man who had given the people many reasons to fear the take over by benders. He was almost his own army, having wiped villages that had not given birth to benders in a certain number of years, or had destroyed homes of those who he thought to be deformities. People without the power to bend were people who were of no use, and people of no use had no purpose and just took up space.

Storms such as these were what brought him out, or he was what brought storms like these out. Either way it was a reason to hide. A top the highest cliff beside the fire nations empire, he stood. He was not very muscular, but what he lacked in muscle he made up for in height. He had to be at least seven feet tall and his eyes were a horrible dark red color, the mark of the lightening branch. A long forgotten side tribe of the fire nation from long ago. His long black hair reached almost to his feet and it blew wildly around him, making him seem almost monstrous and inhuman. Though he was known for his horrible and murderous nature he held a very proud and cheerful gleam in his eyes. In his arms, gently cradled and bundled up, was a small infant. It giggled and cooed as the first bolt of lightening flew across the sky, brightening up its ale skin and shining in its dark red eyes. The Cleanser smiled warmly as it waved its arms up to the sky, reaching for his smooth and jagged face. He placed a hand gently on the child cheek and chuckled. "Ah, my little one. Child of the Lightening branch. Look up at the sky and look down upon the land, this is all for you my dear. One day, this will be yours and mine and together we shall have this world as it should always have been." He said and reached up to the sky and with his hand he attracted a bolt of lightening to his hand and held it hard, not allowing it to surpass the skin of his palm. With little sparks lighting up his fingertips he looked down at the child and smiled. "You are to inherit this, this miracle of nature." He said holding the hand beside his own face, making the baby look on in wonder. "With this, I purify you ." he said and he wiped his thumb across the little ones forehead. The child barely blinked, the sparks not hurting it but rather causing a small giggle and a clap of the hands. "Yes, that's right, this is a happy occasion and from now on, you shall be known as Makaze. My princess of the storm." And with that he held her close and whispered her the secrets of the storm around them as she gently faded into a gentle slumber amongst the wind, rain, thunder, and lightening.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Authors Notes:** Hey! I didn't get much feedback on the prologue...mostly because the main characters weren't in it which is understandable...but it is kind of important to the story. So if you get confused later on in the story it's not meh fault! XP Anyway, This is going to take place AFTER they met they met the sandbenders. Here they end up getting a ride, only to be abandoned. So enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer:**I do not own Avatar: the last Air bender...though I wish I did.

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**Chapter 1-****Stranded, Thirsty, and confused**

The desert let off a cool breeze as the sun began to set. The day had seemed extra humid and didn't seem to want to let up. What was worse was that there had barely been any clouds so water defiantly wasn't an option. The Avatar gang had done what they could so far to stay cool. What little bending Toph could do she did to make a kind of awing sprouting form the ground. With a lot of energy and effort she had been able to condense the sand and make it hard and stay up, but it wouldn't last too long. The group laid beneath their shelter form the sun, sleeping and sweating from the thick air. Aang was the only one that hadn't been able to get any rest what so ever. Every time his eyes closed he thought of his beloved bison, lost and probably gone forever for all he knew. What was worse was that the group was suffering. The sandbenders had left them there in the middle of the desert, not knowing where they were and they had to wait till nightfall in order to read the stars. If only Aang hadn't frightened them, they could have had a ride, but then again they had deserved what they got. Thieves like them deserved no mercy.

He sat up and looked at the others with a long face as the sun went down, knowing they would have to start walking again. With little water, little sleep, and his head full of worries he wasn't looking forward to it. The first one to even stir was Sokka, but because he had saw fit to attempt another sip of the cactus juice, he was simple twitching and giggling like a little girl. "Please mister froggie, no more potatoes, I couldn't eat another bite." Aang couldn't help but smile slightly and looked over at Katara as she began to turn and awaken. Her face was slightly red from sunburn but her dark skin made it seem like nothing more then a playful blush. Aang quickly turned his back to her, not wanting to worry anymore.

"Aang? You're up already? Did you sleep okay?" She asked as she pulled herself up, dusting the sand from her clothing. She swore she had sand in placed she had never even thought of. Aang turned himself around with a bright and wide smile. "Yep! I'm ready to get going! Can't wait for the day ahead!" He sang as he shot to his feet, throwing Momo from his lap onto the ground with a 'thud' Katara could tell that he was faking it, she knew him better then that. "Aang...listen I-" Aang looked at her with a sullen face suddenly and looked down at the others. "Please Katara...I just want to get to Bah sing se without causing anymore problems. Just let me go like this for now." Katara looked at him with concern in her eyes. Before she could say anything else though, Toph shot up like she had been set on a spring. Katara yelped as she looked at the ruffled looking blind girl. Toph yawned slightly and looked your at Katara. "What's your problem?". Katara just blinked and smiled. "N-nothing..." She said with her eye twitching slightly. That girl was just plain weird sometimes.

Toph rubbed her hair until the tangles were tamed and then whined slightly. "Man, I'm so thirsty, and this morning dry mouth sucks." She said and stood up, not bothering the sand she was covered in. She looked over and saw Sokka still sleeping. She frowned and walked over, kicking him in the side, sending him rolling out of the awning. "OW!" He growled and sat up looking straight at Toph with glaring eyes and a pout on his face. "HEY! What's up with that? You don't go and mess up someone's potato dreams like that!" Toph frowned and huffed slightly walking out of the awning and looking up at the sky. Katara looked over at her brother and sighed. "Take it easy Sokka, she's just a little tired and hot." Sokka stood up and tightened his fists. "We all are but that's no reason to go around kicking people!" Katara shook her head slightly. "Yeah, but she's the youngest and she's trying to keep up with us right now. So cut her some slack okay?" Sokka crossed his arms and pouted again turning away like a spoiled child. Aang looked over at Katara and then the astrology scroll she had. "Hey, we can find out where we are now!"

Katara smiled and then grabbed the scroll quickly. "That's right! If we're lucky we're close to the capital." Sokka scoffed and then looked at the two slightly. "Cha right. I bet those stupid sand benders took so far off the route that we'll never make it out of here alive." Aang sighed and then looked away from them in shame. "You're probably right." Katara frowned and stormed out of the awning to check their position. "Both of you stop being so negative!" she opened the scroll and began to read the stars, having to go from the scroll several times. "well?" Toph said, walking over to her, looking as under the weather as the others. Katara smiled slightly and then closed up the scroll "we're about one more days trek to the city!" All three of the others groaned and Momo just laid on his back looking up in a blank stare. Katara frowned and growled. "Come on you guys it's not that bad!" Aang walked over to Katara's things and picked up her empty water flask. "Even without the sun, without water we're not going to be able to make it. We've been going to long without it..." Toph groaned and then just let herself fall backwards into the soft sand. "I can't take it anymore! We're all gonna die out here...well...Sokka might make it. He's been getting drunk off those plants so much he might be the only one to make it." Sokka shook his head and whined rubbing his head. "No, believe it or not after it leaves your system it makes your mouth so dry you'd swear you just ate a mouthful of cotton." He smacked his lips and groaned looking up at them with a pathetic look on his face.

'Enough! We're not going to die out here! We'll make it! We just need to-" Toph suddenly shot up, causing Sokka to squeal and jump to the side. "DON'T DO THAT!" He yelled in aggravation. "Be quiet, I can sense someone coming!" Aang quickly took hold of his staff and Sokka grabbed his boomerang. "Who? How many are there?"

"I can't tell! Sand, not solid, veeerry shifty, remember?" Toph answered irritated. "Can you tell us anything? Like if it's a sandbender or not." Katara asked politely, not wanting there to be anymore tension then there already was. Toph furrowed her brow and tried to concentrate. "I think it's another sandbender...maybe a fire soldier actually. The image is so fuzzy but it looks like their wearing that pointy armor. There's just one." Sokka grinned and raised his hands into the air. "We can take down one no problem! And then we can take their supplies!" Katara raised a brow and thought it over. "but, why would a firebender be out here alone...it doesn't make sense."

Sokka frowned, miss buzz kill killing the moment. "Who cares? They might have water. We don't have time to just sit around waiting for them to either attack us or start in a different direction before we get to them. Which way are they coming from?" He asked Toph quickly and Toph pointed to where she felt them. Without another word Sokka ran off. "Wait!" Katara yelled trying to stop him, but he was off. Aang opened up his glider and looked over at Katara. "I'll go after him, you stay here!" He said launching into the air after the racing Sokka. Toph was quick to follow too. "Wait up you idiots!" Katara clenched her fists and held them tight at her sides. "WHY DOESN'T ANYONE EVER LISTEN TO ME!"

As Sokka got farther and farther he could start to see the figure that Toph was talking about. In the dark he couldn't make out much, but he could see two points on the shoulders and that was enough for him. He took his boomerang and threw it as hard as he could forward. The figure's head came upright and realizing something was flying at it's head reacted quickly. The figure pushed off of the ground into the air, going up at least five or six feet above the boomerang. As the weapon came back around, the shadowed entity reached out and grabbed it, snatching it from the air as it fell back to the ground. With one hand it threw the boomerang back at Sokka. Being taken off guard, the attacking Sokka ducked, yelping slightly. "Hey! No fair!" He said sitting up straight. He had forgotten for a moment that boomerangs came back and before he could try and dodge again the weapon flew back and hit him in the back of the head. He spun around once, a little wobbly. "That...was a very cheap trick." He said pointing at the figure before crumpling to the ground.

Seeing his companion fall, Aang dove down. He folded up his glider and brought it above his head. He brought it down in as he fell causing a strong wind to blow forward, knocking the enemy back about five feet. He turned to go and check his friend, but was surprised as the figure came flying from behind. He turned quickly and wiped his staff in a half circle, blowing sand forward to cover him and Sokka from view. The figure flew through the sand though and launched forward. Aang twirled inn a circle and did a roundhouse plus one bring down of his staff to create two wind blasts. One of the blasts was dodged barely but the second hit sending back the attacker, but they were quick to get back on their feet. "what the heck! Stay Back!" As he got ready to launch another attack, the figure flew forward grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. His staff being released quickly. He began to twist his feat around to call up some air to lift him up, to maybe push back his captor, but the one holding his arm pulled on it, making him freeze and wince in pain. He could feel the figure lift its hand and he closed his eyes tightly, ready to feel a blow to his head of some sort. He braced himself to bounce back from it, but instead of a blow, he felt someone gingerly touch his bald head. The person released him. He stood still for a moment and looked on in wonder as the figure came form behind him and came to the front, tracing the arrow from the back of his head to the front with one finger. As he finally saw the figure his eyes widened and he stared with his mouth hanging open. "Y-you're.." A soft voice stuttered slightly, just as surprised as he was.

"Get away from them!" Toph's gruff voice yelled out. Aang spun around to see Toph raising up her arms. "Wait! No!" But he was too late, Toph sent a wave of sand flying above Aang's head and landing on top of the stranger, burying them totally. Aang frowned and turned towards Toph. "What did you do that for?" He yelled and Toph frowned crossing her arms. "Saving your butt!" Aang growled and threw his hands into the air. "That wasn't a firebender!" Toph looked at him in surprise and then looked at the sand. "wait then who is it?" The sand began to shift suddenly and both Aang and Toph stared at it and backed away. "THE AVATAR!" A voice screamed out in joy as a young girl flew from beneath the sand, her hands and legs spread in joy. She fell forward and as she did grabbed the Avatar in an embrace, tackling him to the ground. "I've finally found you!" she said in a slightly softer and warmer voice, making Aang blush. "Finally..."

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_**Authors Bonus Notes:** Okay, now before I get flamed up the wazoo lemme tell you something. I do not godmode my characters. The only reason this girl was able to fight better and react so fast was NOT because she is superwoman. This is because the group is exhausted, thirsty, grumpy, and hungry. Its about the condition of the fighters not by actual strength. they were at a disadvantage is all so its all good! XP_


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